The Film Daily (1929)

THE -%£k DAILY Sunday, October 20, 1929 United States WILMINGTON, DEL.— Chicago Amusement Service Corp., with a capital of 1000 shares no par value, has been incorporated here to operate theaters and places of amusement. The incorporators are M. S. Cook, A. L. Raughley, J. M. Townsend all of Dover. LOS ANGELES — Fox West Coast has taken over the Palace which has been reconstructed and reopened as a two-a-day house. The theater was constructed in 1911 as the Orpheum. MINNEAPOLIS — United Film Ad Service, formerly known as Twin City Film Ad Service, has absorbed the Monarch Film exchange of Waterloo, la., according to Al Smith, manager of United. SYRACUSE — Habe Amusement Corp. has leased the Savoy for a period of years from Ralph Shulman and T. Aaron Levy. ST. LOUIS— Webster Grove Theater Corp. has been formed with 600 shares of $25 preferred stock and 600 shares of no par common. The new company, it is understood, will take over the operation of the Ozark, Webster Groves. Incorporators are Frank C. Thompson, Henry V. Gehm, A. E. Blackmer, D. H. Holecamp, Henry Schulz, William Lothman, Jr., L. C. Martin, Richard Holecamp, William Lindhorst. Chas. E. King, William A. Straus, and P. R. Blackmer. BOSTON— A regular quarterly dividend of 15 cents, payable Nov. 1, has been declared by Loew's Boston Theater Co. on stock of record Oct. 19th. WINSTON-SALEM, N. C.— U. K. Rice has been appointed manager of the Carolina succeeding Robert C Frost who has been transferred to Birmingham where he is to manage three Publix houses. Rice formerly was manager of the Colonial here. MILWAUKEE— James A. Higler, manager of the Palace-Orpheum, has resigned. Harry E. Billings, now manager of the Riverside theater, will become manager of both the Palace and Riverside. The Palace will become a moving picture house and the Riverside will take over the "big time" bills at the Palace. RICHMOND — Approximately $7,000 will be spent for installing sound apparatus in the projection rooms of the state office building in which films are censored before permitted exhibited in this state, according to Evan R. Chesterman, direc tor of the State Division of M. P. Censorship. PORTLAND, ME.— Magnascope, wide screen, has been installed at the State which opened here Oct. 19 with "The Gold Diggers of Broadway" as the opening feature. New York With the premiere of "Condemned" in London in November, Samuel Goldwyn will have two productions playing $2 top in the English cap.tal at the same time. "Bulldog Drummond," after playing 20 weeks at the London Tivoli, will still be running at the opening of "Condemned." "Condemned" will have its New York premiere on Nov. 4 and it is believed it is a record for a producer to have New York and London premieres of his picture in the same month. Goldwyn, who now is here, will attend both openings. Joseph M. Schenck, Nicholas M. Schenck, Al Lichtman and Artie Stebbins leave Saturday for the Coast. On his return trip, Lichtman will visit the various United Artists branches. He is slated to return to Ne,v York in about a month. Ben Shipman of the Hal Roach studios has arrived in town. Gloria Swanson's talker, "The Trespasser," will have its New York premiere at the Rialto following completion of the run being extended to "Why Bring That Up," featuring Moran and Mack, now current at that house. Mrs. Natalie M. Kalmus, said to be the first color director of films, has arrived in New York from Hollywood to sail for a business trip to Europe with her husband, Dr. Herbert T. Kalmus, president of Technicolor. Mrs. Kalmus heads a department of artists organized by the Technicolor corporation to guide producers in the most effective methods of utilizing color. While in Europe she will engage several color authorities to come to California and join her staff. Arthur Loew and Ludwig Lawrence, Central European manager for M-G-M, are scheduled to leave Saturday for the Coast. They will be gone about a month. E. P. Pelley, assistant European manager of Electrical Research Products with headquarters in London, is here to study conditions relating to sound recording and reproducing. He will remain about a month. The Arbitration Decision (Continued from Page 1) for distributors. Strangely, during the trials it was felt that the credit case might present some difficulty, but a complete victory in the arbitration case was anticipated, all of which shows you never can tell At any rate, there will be a gettogether of opposing counsel, as the court suggests, and effort made to revise any provisions considered illegal, so that the system will remain in force The arbitration decisions was far and away the highlight of the week's news, and today remains a chief topic of discussion throughout the industry. From where we sit, other news of the week passes in review, something like this: Monday: Paramount's preparing to enter the Fox strongholds on the Coast, 'tis said, its scouts being sent out to survey potential sites and purchases. That's indication of an even keener race for houses than has been waged heretofore. The outcome will furnish news for a long time to come Meanwhile, his hand at the helm, William Fox in New York maps plans for his next 25 years in the industry, simultaneously with observance of his Silver Jubilee in show business. He hopes to extend the influence of talking pictures to the educational, religious and medical fields and develop their extensive use in the home. Fox has developed home equipment for the purpose. This 25 years of growth of Fox enterprises is one of the great romances of show business. A quarter of a century ago he took the plunge, obtaining a 146-seat storeshow in Brooklyn. Today, according to his own count, "the lone eagle" owns, operates, controls or has interest in 1,100 theaters dotting practically every section of these United States. Truly a remarkable record of achievement Warning that non-dramatic presentatioa for profit of copyrighted nusical works of its members as well as reproduction of such works in a theater must be licensed, is sounded by the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers in a communication to producers of sound pictures. This is a way of avoiding costly litigation later on, and should be commended Tuesday: Credit where credit is due is the formula followed by Abram F. Myers, president of Allied States Ass'n, in telling the world that RKO and Tiffany-Stahl have made good on all promises. Allied has put real push behind the drive to sell franchises, and plenty of playdates have been lined up. He talks also, from Los Angeles, on need for "an open minded contact" with other branches of the industry, and hopes for understanding between the branches. Settlement of differences in a constructive way long has been advocated by this publication as the only way toward a betterment of re lations between various branches o the industry, all intradependent oi each other. N. L. Nathanson, who resignei from Canadian Famous Players ove differences regarding proposed sal of the chain to Gaumont Britisl denies in Toronto that he will de velop a new Canadian oppositioi chain, presumably with Fox backing He's through with the film business says this veteran leader, long th commanding figure in Canadian fik business. The old East vs West controvers is renewed with announcement tha Paramount intends to concentrat considerable production activity at it Astoria plant. It's not a matter c argument or sentiment with Pa» mount, but one of business, the fin intending to take advantage of 1 proximity of the plant to the resource of Broadway talent .J Wednesday: Again the Federt Court in New York has spoken, th; time to declare that there are ii stances of illegality in enforcemem of the standard contract and arb-i tration agreement. The court, ho?] ever, points out that the contract ar agreement are not unfair, but thn changes are needed. The idea J compulsion is not relished by 11 Sherman law, and it is this featu' which the decision hits New reproducing equipment £| small theaters is to be delivered ,; December, states Sales Manag1 Sydney Abel. There has been ' great deal of interest in this nef equipment, and if it measures up i expectations, there will be a grej change in the exhibition pictuii Now, screen advertising firms ha developed a national system of dj tribution, which should help thcjj collectively in the negotiation of coj tracts and playing time. Thursday: The standard contnj and arbitration agreement will be i] vised to conform to the court's inti]; pretation of the Sherman law, coiu sel for distributors indicates. Til will be done speedily, so that * matter will be threshed out once for all. Distributors have been e to have a Federal ruling on arbit tion and may be expected to has! an accord with the government, the system may have official sancti' Meanwhile, little likelihc is seen of any revision of the Code Ethics, due to the fact that the dustry is pathetic, and a new tn conference will not be called unl it is requested. Changed conditi< due to the sound picture develo<->m constitute the chief reasons, why conference has not been proposed. Continental Theater Accessories, n supply firm, which is aiming al system of national distribution, starting activities this week, company has manpower and is sti ing under favorable auspices, (Continued on Page 12)